Andi Morman, the commissioner's wife and a high school economics teacher, said her husband vents less about work these days. He's able to solve problems in a way he couldn't in the courtroom. "If it's a Precinct 2 issue and it's something that needs to be fixed, I can go out and fix or make sure it gets fixed," he said. "That's refreshing."

The biggest family change in the last year, Andi Morman said, has been their schedule, though she has welcomed the chance to get more involved in community events. The Mormans' kids, Jordan, 5, and Jack, 3, have welcomed that, too - they were thrilled to ride in parades, for instance. They are less excited by their father's many evening and weekend phone calls.

Consider this to be either a datapoint against the "liberal media" mythology ... or a suggestion that John Williams is secretly ghost-writing homilies on the elected class for other reporters at the Chronicle.